PORTLAND, Maine -- In 1974, President Gerald Ford authorized EMS Week to celebrate EMS practitioners and the important work they do in our nation's communities. Back then, EMS was a new profession, and EMS practitioners had only just started to be recognized as a critical component of emergency medicine and the public health safety net.
A lot has changed since then. EMS is now firmly established as an essential public function and a vital component of the medical care continuum. On any given day, EMS practitioners help save lives by responding to medical emergencies, including heart attack, difficulty breathing, a fall or accident, drowning, cardiac arrest, stroke, drug overdose or acute illness. EMS may provide both basic and advanced medical care at the scene of an emergency and en route to a hospital. EMS practitioners care for their patients' medical needs and show caring and compassion to their patients in their most difficult moments.
The Portland Fire Department responded to 12,527 EMS calls last year alone. Emergency Medicine is a significant percentage of what PFD does on a daily basis.
In recognition of all department EMS providers during National EMS week, the department will be offering a breakfast buffet at Central Station from 08:30-10:00 for all four platoons.
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